Anonymous

Of those that I have seen this is a fair representative of the Mtarfa signature... although when you look at it you wouldn't think that that is what it says. The other signature for this piece is the design/colour of the vase itself... which I would have attributed to Mtarfa or one of the other Maltese glass makers even if it did not have the added signature

I have a collection of Mdina, Mtarfa and Phoenician glass - bottles, huge bark vases, faceted pieces, iridized, bowls - some are signed with dates - I would love to post here but I don't fancy posting 100 odd pics -

I sold a large Mdina bark bottle for £100 the other month it is really coming up - the large 'axe head' is another now really sought after shape

I love with all the factories placing them by age through the style and colour way - early 70s up to now (Mdina especially)

Adam D555

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David is my Father's name, 555 is the number of man ('The Pixies'), but please call me ADAM P.

:D:D Hello Ronnie, There are several different varieties of Mtarfa mark, the same as Mdina. I've not seen this variety before, but I'm positive that's what it is. (I've even tried to see what it looks like up-side-down!) The green spots are a fairly signature Mtarfa feature, along with the general "feel" of the piece. I've not seen this pattern before. It IS nice!!

So, Adam, :D:D you're another Mdina freak! To think I used to be the only one (....in the village :lol::lol::lol:)

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Cheers, Sue (M)

Three Wise Women would have asked for directions, arrived on time, delivered the baby, cleaned the stables and made a casserole...

Your "early experimental" is Mtarfa. I've got a few pieces in this colourway, I originally though it was Mdina, but recently I obtained a piece that "drew" all of the pieces together, and was marked Mtarfa, as yours is. Sometimes there is a deep blue included, sometimes not. Not the Mdina teal blue, but a much more inky blue. (I see there is some blue on yours.) Another giveaway on yours is the "torn" top.

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Cheers, Sue (M)

Three Wise Women would have asked for directions, arrived on time, delivered the baby, cleaned the stables and made a casserole...

And there WOULD have been peace on earth.

LynWebster

There are individual studios starting to pop up in artsy-craftsy areas producing consistently high quality, imaginative glass items. There are similar items to this in a small studio/shop near the River where I live which has a design not dissimilar to this (to be frank, I'd say the man who runs it it an incredible glassblower, but very much follows trends.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this place is that once he kiln is fired up again in a fortnight, he'll tailor a day's glassblowing demo & tuition (or longer if you wish) to individuals & small groups - anyone local to the South West would be welcome to join me.

He's also repairing an Art Nouveau iridescent Amethyst vase for me, which has fleabites >¼ inch around the rim. It's a 9 inch vase & the form makes a repair viable - what amazed me was the paltry £10 fee which includes the removal, bevelling & high polish internally to match! Bargain!